UN chief says Pacific territories face climate 'annihilation'

UN Chief Antonio Guterres warned Thursday that some Pacific territories face "annihilation" from climate-induced cyclones, ocean heatwaves and rising sea levels.

On a visit to Samoa, he said the fate of Pacific islands depended on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Nearly 200 nations agreed to strive for that target in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, but UN estimates indicate that the world is not on track to achieve it.